Playing with Fire: Zelensky Questions Trump’s Patriotism in CNN Interview
Ukraine’s President Zelensky has grown increasingly bold in his criticisms of former US President Donald Trump – a risky move given he’s clearly the Republican frontrunner for president going into November. Kiev may soon have to deal with a Trump White House and ‘play nicer’ in the near future as it tries to survive the Russian onslaught. “If Trump doesn’t know who he will support, Ukraine or Russia, he will have problems with his society. Supporting Russia means being against the Americans,” Zelensky boldly said in a new interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.
Throughout the remarks the Ukrainian leader cast Trump as ‘weak’ on Russia, explaining that Trump doesn’t understand that Putin will “will never stop.” The implication is that Putin is waging an expansionist war threatening the rest of Europe and that a potential future Trump presidency might just sit on the sidelines.
“I think Donald Trump doesn’t know Putin,” Zelensky said in the Sunday interview, which is now widely circulating. “I know he met him … but he never fought with Putin. [The] American Army never fought with the army of Russia. Never … I have a better understanding.”
“I don’t think he understands that Putin will never stop,” Zelensky asserted while referencing Trump directly, which comes after fierce criticisms by Trump on the campaign trail which have highlighted the failure of NATO countries in Europe to spend enough on defense.
Zelensky’s words also tap into the longtime Democratic ‘Russiagate’ narrative that Trump has somehow been influenced by Putin. Zelensky was again asked about the former US president’s recent biting criticism of NATO wherein the Republican frontrunner said that he’d be OK with Russia doing “whatever the hell they wanted” if NATO countries refuse to meet defense spending targets.
That’s when Zelensky issued his sharpest criticism of Trump to date, explaining that it’s unclear whether Trump stands with Americans or with Moscow. The words ultimately questioned Trump’s patriotism and loyalty to America. Again, this is what Zelensky said… and it seems to call into question Trump’s ‘loyalties’:
“If Trump doesn’t know who he will support, Ukraine or Russia, he will have problems with his society. Supporting Russia means being against the Americans.”
As for Putin, he recently was asked in an interview who he would like to see become president of the United States. He shocked the West by answering “Biden” as he is more “predictable”. Putin called the Democrat incumbent a “more experienced, predictable, an old-school politician.”
Zelensky in the fresh CNN interview was asked about his preference. This is how he responded:
Zelensky would not answer whether he wanted to see Trump reelected to the country’s highest office, telling Collins that “the decision who will be the president is a decision of your society.”
Zelensky says he has a better understanding of who Putin actually is than Trump does. “That’s why I think Donald Trump doesn’t know Putin. I know he met with him…But he never fought with him. The American army never fought with the army of Russia.” pic.twitter.com/GSjCT0Tqny
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) February 27, 2024
At a moment Biden’s proposed $60+ billion in Ukraine defense aid is still being held up by the Republican House, Zelensky’s increased attacks are only likely to harden GOP resistance to sending tens of billions more in taxpayer dollars to Kiev.
In some ways, his criticisms also give Trump license to heap criticisms back on Zelensky. There’s a likelihood we are about to see Trump say some things not favorable to Zelensky on the campaign trail. At the same time, Democrats will continue running with their Trump as ‘friend of Putin’ narrative, even though Trump himself in prior years did much to arm and militarize Ukraine in the lead-up to the Russian invasion.
